Sliding oscillation of multiwall carbon nanotubes

The sliding oscillations of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with open ends are characterized. The interlayer van der Waals interaction provides a restoring force for the oscillatory system whereas the ultralow interlayer friction was ignored due to its negligible influence on the oscillation. Based on this model, various oscillation modes were obtained with the associated frequency of the order 1–100 GHz by using the finite element method. The radius and length dependence and the effect of end constraints have been further studied and quantified for the sliding oscillation of MWCNTs. The results are interpreted in terms of the mass change and the restriction on the motion of the individual tubes of MWCNTs. In view of these analyses, MWCNTs with open ends may expect to serve as nanoscale oscillatory devices where the oscillation modes and frequency can be controlled by choosing the tube geometry and imposing desirable end constraints.